HOW TO EAT HEALTHY AT THE OFFICE

sherylwestestg on April 18, 2016

If you’re one of the 35 million Americans who sit at a desk all day, it’s time to change up your habits and get you moving. Eating well can be a major struggle especially if you’re surrounded by donuts and food trucks.
1. Get Moving — Lunch time? Break time? Go take a walk around the block or building instead of sitting in the break room. Don’t you get enough of that office anyway? Being exposed to natural sunlight for just 15 minutes a day can decrease your risk of depression and increase immunity.
2. Pack Lunch — If you don’t bring your own food already, it’s time you start. Oh and I don’t want to hear the excuse that you don’t have time. Here’s an idea: Prepare a batch of quinoa Sunday for the rest of the week. You can add in beans, a lean protein, or make a salad out of the quinoa for each day of the week. It’s easy, filling and nutritious.
3. Get Everyone Involved — Staying healthy on your own can be difficult, especially in an office full of coffee-driven cookie-eating coworkers. Convince everyone to get involved. Clear the fridge out, buy a juicer, and get started.

Are you tired of your normal turkey sandwich for lunch?

sherylwestestg on April 8, 2016

Try this amazing recipe submitted by one of our clients who has lost 20 lbs through dedication and food creativity. Doesn’t this look appetizing?
Veggie Wrap:
•2 50 calorie tortilla
•Sun dried tomato humus(trader joes)
•Romaine Lettuce
• Hearts of Palm
•Orange Pepper
•Slivers of Avocado
•Cherry Tomatoes

10 Secrets to Cooking Healthier

sherylwestestg on April 5, 2016

Easy ways to make your everyday meals healthier and tastier.
If your eating habits are anything like those of most Americans and you are looking for the simplest advice, we would tell you to eat more vegetables, fruits and whole grains and less of just about everything else. However, if you’re ready for just a bit more guidance, our 10 principles of healthy cooking will get you started.
1. Use smart fats.
Not all fat is bad. Opt for unsaturated (e.g., olive oil) over saturated fats such as butter. But still use them in moderation because all fats are loaded with calories.
2. Go unrefined.
Pick whole grains over refined grains. Whole grains like brown rice and bulgur have their bran intact and thus have more fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and other nutrients.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Most people don’t get enough! Aim for 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Pick produce in a variety of colors to get a range of antioxidants and vitamins. A serving size is 1⁄2 to 1 cup depending on the fruit or vegetable.
4. It’s not all about the meat.
Meat is a great source of protein but it’s also a big source of saturated fat in many people’s diets. So eat small amounts of lean meat, fish and poultry. Fill up the rest of your plate with healthy vegetables and whole grains.
5. Choose low-fat dairy.
Dairy products like milk, sour cream and yogurt are a good source of calcium. Replacing whole-milk dairy products with low-fat or nonfat is an easy way to cut saturated fat in your diet.
6. Keep portions reasonable.
Even though we would all like a magic bullet for weight control, it really boils down to calories. One of the easiest ways to manage calorie intake is by eating healthy portions.
7. Use sweeteners judiciously.
Sugars of any kind, whether corn syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup, add significant calories without any nutritive value.
8. Keep an eye on sodium.
Whether you have high blood pressure or not, it’s wise to watch your sodium intake. The USDA’s dietary guidelines for Americans recommend consuming less than 2,300 mg (about 1 teaspoon salt) daily.
9. Go for the flavor.
Enhance food with bold flavors from healthy ingredients like fresh herbs, spices and citrus. When your food has great flavor, there’s no reason to feel deprived.
10. Be mindful and enjoy.
Make conscious food decisions rather than grabbing for what is most convenient. Make sure it is something delicious and savor it. When you enjoy what you eat, you feel satisfied.

Blood Orange Baked Salmon & Carrots

sherylwestestg on April 4, 2016

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients

3 blood oranges (divided – 2 juiced, 1 sliced)
¼ cup honey
1 tsp chipotle powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp paprika
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 lb fresh salmon
2 lbs fresh whole carrots (peeled)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a small bowl, whisk the 2 juiced blood oranges (should equal app. ½ cup), honey, chipotle powder, cumin, paprika and garlic together, to make the glaze for the salmon.
Place the salmon in a baking dish and surround with the carrots.
Pour the glaze over the salmon and carrots.
Place the sliced blood orange on top of the salmon.
Place in the oven for 30 minutes.

Nut and Seed Butters

sherylwestestg on March 14, 2016

From cashew to almond and sesame to sunflower, seed and nut butters have become

popular products that dietitians continue to recommend and that clients enjoy.—and for good reasons. Seed and nut butters contain healthful nutrients that benefit heart health, reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and even lower the risk of obesity despite their high fat content. Nut and seed butters are some of the best diet foods around because you can put it on fruit, vegetables or crackers, and they’re really satiating (keep you fuller longer). It stays with you so you’re not looking around for cookies or some other empty-calorie junk food.
Nut and seed butters may contain a significant amount of fat per serving, but it’s the types of fat that benefit heart health. The butters tend to be rich in both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs and PUFAs). Both are known to decrease LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lowering the risk of metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. The key to getting the health benefits from nut and seed butters are to eat them in moderation, which is about 2 Tablespoons per day. Look for natural nut or seed butter varieties to avoid the unnecessary added sugars and trans fat.

What Can I Do to Burn Calories While Sitting at My Desk at Work?

sherylwestestg on March 4, 2016

If your job entails long hours behind a desk, you may notice your waistline gaining inches. Sitting for long periods slows your metabolism, which can lead to weight gain. Although you could buy treadmill desks and desk risers so you can stand while you work, these items can be costly. Luckily, you can do other things at your desk to burn calories without breaking your budget.

Tap it Out

Unless you have a private office, you won’t be able to perform a dance routine at work, but you can tap your feet. Start by tapping your toes 25 times as you keep your heel on the floor. Then, tap your foot side to side 25 times using your heel as a pivot point. You can do one foot at a time or alternate feet. This short exercise doesn’t burn a huge number of calories, but if you do it several times a day, the calorie burn will rack up. In addition to shedding a few calories, tapping your toes helps strengthen9 the muscles at the front of your shins.

Raise Those Calves

If you strength train, you know that standing calf raises are an excellent exercise for toning your legs and burning a few calories. Although your calves won’t have to work as hard when you are sitting, you can do them in your office chair. Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor. Then, raise your heels off the floor as far as possible. Lower your heels and repeat 10 to 15 times. To make this more challenging and burn a few more calories, press your hands against your knees to create resistance as you lift your heels. If you’re wearing high heels, you should take them off before doing this exercise.

Maintain Your Posture

Slouching while seated at your desk requires little effort from your muscles. Sitting up straight with your shoulders back and your abs tight, however, works several muscles in your torso, back and shoulders. This extra effort will burn a few more calories and also keep your back healthy. As often as possible, suck in your abs and keep them tight for 60 seconds or more to tone your midsection. If possible, switch out your desk chair for a stability ball, which will help you burn more calories as you work to balance and maintain good posture while sitting on it.

Pretend to Walk

Getting up from your desk as often as possible is the best way to burn calories at work. Stand while on the phone, take the stairs to a restroom on a different floor or walk over to talk to a colleague instead of emailing or phoning him. If you truly are tied to your desk, you can pretend to walk to burn a few calories. Sit up straight. While keeping your knees bent, lift your right leg up, lower it, lift your left leg up, lower it and then repeat as many times as you like. If you tighten your buns as you “walk,” you’ll burn more calories and tone your backside. After your walk, slowly extend each leg 10 times to work your quadriceps.

Stretch Your Body

Sitting at a desk all day can leave you cramped and sore. Stretching is a wonderful way to relieve this tension and burn a small number of calories. Sit up straight and then raise your arms over your head. Clasp your hands together and lean to the left until you feel a gentle stretch along your right side. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and then stretch to the right. After these side stretches, keep your hands over your head. Imagine hollowing out your belly as you curve forward. Think of making a “C” shape with your body. Hold the position for 10 to 20 seconds and enjoy the stretch along your back as you say goodbye to a few more calories.

Heart Knowledge

sherylwestestg on March 3, 2016

A heart attack results from a blockage in the flow of blood to the heart, causing heart cells to die. There are many causes, such as smoking, inactivity and a diet high in calories, sodium and saturated fats. Heart attacks are a leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, and there are several ways to quicken your path to a heart attack.

Note that for optimum heart health an adult’s daily diet should consists of roughly 2,000 calories, fewer than 1,500 milligrams of sodium, fewer than 16 grams of saturated fat and fewer than 300 milligrams of cholesterol. Don’t be discouraged by nutrition labels. Foods boasting of zero trans-fat still might be loaded with saturated fats, so you might still be in luck. Also, these labels display information about one serving size, and the container might have several servings. So you might have the opportunity to double, triple or even quadruple those numbers.